Storage and archiving techniques for digital media and corresponding retrieval techniques are well known. However, the work in this field is concentrated on facilitating the retrieval of a particular digital media item i.e., one which matches the user's requirements exactly. The prior art archiving and retrieval systems are based on a semantic memory approach. Such an approach is suited to the location of items relevant to a specific requirement.
The present invention provides a different approach to the archiving and retrieval of digital media items of any type. The invention is based on the fact that groups of people now readily establish archives of digital media items that reflect their activities, relationships and interests. The archiving and retrieval system of the present invention is designed for use by strong interpersonal groups, such as those formed by teenage girls, families, work mates, or sports teams or clubs. The invention can also be used by individuals to archive and retrieve digital media items relating to a group of people. The invention is based on the realization that people in creating these digital archives, are establishing group ‘memory’ and indulging in group nostalgia. Tools bases on episodic memory rather than semantic memory will be more effective and desirable for these purposes.